Texas @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 3, 2011 ) Texas 4, Tampa Bay 3

THE STORY: The Texas Rangers are one win away from reaching the American League Championship Series for the second consecutive season. They'll look to secure that victory Tuesday when they face the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 4 of the division series. Texas defeated Tampa Bay 4-3 on Monday to make it four straight road victories over the Rays in the past two postseasons. Mike Napoli hit the go-ahead, two-run homer and Colby Lewis allowed just one hit in six innings.

TV: 2:07 p.m. ET, TBS.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rangers LH Matt Harrison (14-9, 3.39 ERA) vs. Rays RH Jeremy Hellickson (13-10, 2.95 ERA)

Harrison pitched in relief in the opening game of the series and gave up a run in two-thirds of an inning. He went 4-0 with a 2.64 ERA in five September starts to beat out Alexi Ogando for a postseason starting spot. Harrison’s only career start against the Rays came in 2008 when he tossed eight innings of three-hit ball. Johnny Damon is 5-for-10 with three walks against Harrison.

Hellickson is one of the favorites for AL Rookie of the Year honors after finishing eighth in the league in ERA and ranking as the second-toughest pitcher to hit (.210) behind Detroit ace Justin Verlander. He had a 2.64 ERA after the All-Star break but one of his three second-half losses was to Texas when he gave up two runs and six hits in six innings on August 30.

ABOUT THE RAYS: Tampa Bay faces elimination despite outhomering the powerful Rangers 7-2 in the first three games. Desmond Jennings hit two homers in Monday’s loss to became the first leadoff hitter to go deep twice in a postseason game since Damon did so for the Boston Red Sox in 2004. Evan Longoria struck out three times but is 3-for-3 with a homer and double against Harrison.

ABOUT THE RANGERS: Napoli has four RBIs over the past two games as he follows up the best regular season of his career. Napoli also threw out B.J. Upton trying to steal in the eighth inning. Josh Hamilton had a two-run single for the other two Texas runs, his first RBIs of the series. Adrian Beltre is hitting just .091 in the series. Closer Neftali Feliz has saved two games and had a four-out save on Monday. Only once did Feliz record more than three outs in 32 regular-season saves.

FINAL PITCH: Monday’s Game 3 marked Tampa Bay’s first sellout at Tropicana Field since Opening Day.